RECAP

MUSC 365/NZSM 461 ! Last lecture we looked at

MATERIALS OF 20TH/21ST-CENTURY MUSIC
bimodality

symmetrical divisions of the octave (phi divisions)

MOTIVIC SYMMETRY IN BARTKS FOURTH STRING QUARTET
creating an axis of symmetry
Bartks axis system of tonality

TODAYS LECTURE BOUNDARY INTERVALS

! Further concepts of symmetry in Bartk

boundary intervals ! Bagatelle No. III
symmetrical cells p. 153 Course Notes

! vertical and horizontal deployment concept of boundary intervals

! use in String Quartet No. IV ! GB boundary (filled in with semitones)

T symmetry vs. I symmetry ! F!C boundary (filled with tune, then semitones)

interval pair cycle

C
B Cs
INTERVAL CYCLES

Bf D

A Ef
! Similar to phi divisions single-interval collections
we can build a series of scales using a single interval from 1
(semitone) to 6 (tritone) and their inversions
Gs E

G F
Fs
Interval cycle 1/11 C Interval cycle 2/10 C
B Cs B Cs

Bf D Bf D

A Ef A Ef

Gs E Gs E

G F G F
Fs Fs

Interval cycle 3/9 C Interval cycle 4/8 C

B Cs B Cs

Bf D Bf D

A Ef A Ef

Gs E Gs E

G F G F
Fs Fs

Interval cycle 5/7 C Interval cycle 6 C

B Cs B Cs

Bf D Bf D

A Ef A Ef

Gs E Gs E

G F G F
Fs Fs
SYMMETRY BARTKS THREE SYMMETRICAL CELLS

! Bartks interest in symmetry includes

division of 8ve into equal intervals (phi divisions)
use of interval cycles
! CELL X
melodies and melodic motifs that are symmetrical around an axis
segment of interval-1 cycle [0 1 2 3] = chromatic segment

we can determine different interval couples

! Musicologists have identified three symmetrical motifs or ! primary interval couple is that of the cycle interval [0-1; 2-3]
cells that recur often in Bartks music:
! secondary interval couple is the other equivalent interval coupling
Cells X, Y & Z [0-2; 1-3]
! tertiary interval couple is the non-equivalent interval coupling [0-3;
1-2]

BARTKS THREE SYMMETRICAL CELLS BARTKS THREE ARCHETYPAL CELLS

Z-8 Z-2

! CELL Z
not a segment of a uni-intervallic cycle
! CELL Y
! Note annotation of transpositional level
segment of interval-2 cycle [0 2 4 6] = whole-tone segment
mode of limited transposition
! again, note primary, secondary & tertiary interval couples
! when transposed by tritone, maps onto
itself

only 6 possible transpositions

! we will meet these modes next week

INTERNAL SYMMETRY BARTKS FOURTH STRING QUARTET

! All cells display I symmetry (invert to the same pc)

! Cell Z also displays T symmetry ! Five-movement, arch form work written in 1928
can be transposed by non-0 to same pc ! See Antokoletzs article p. 135 Course Notes
! Analyses show pervasiveness of Cells X, Y & Z
! Cell Z particularly suggests new type of interval cycle with Linear deployment (horizontal > melody)
two intervals
Chordal deployment (vertical > harmony)
interval pair cycle
Principle of proximity > saturation of discourse with salient
cycle built from two successive intervals intervals

e.g. cycle 5+1

OPENING BARS

! CELL X appears melodically and harmonically

variety of interval couplings

! Shift to CELL Y in b. 6
! Definitive motif expressed in cello in b. 7
Melodicization of CELL X

! CELL Z finally appears at b. 22